Time to Spare
by Rhianwen
Summary: Life moves slowly in Flowerbud Village, and that means you have time to move slowly, too, and figure things out for yourself. AlexEllen fluffiness.
1. Chapter 1

Time to Spare

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Summary: Life moves slowly in Flowerbud Village, and that means you have time to move slowly, too, and figure things out for yourself. Alex/Ellen fluffiness. Their first meeting.

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Before she even met him, Ellen was afraid of the young doctor coming to establish a clinic in Flowerbud Village.

She had always been afraid of doctors, and city-men, so it wasn't such a surprise. Doctors always meant that she was going to lose someone else the way she had lost Mama, and city-men were _so_ good at saying things that made her cry.

But it hadn't taken long to figure out that Dr. Alex was different. He wasn't going to take Papa away for weeks at a time and eventually forever, and he got so flustered when she looked sad that she knew he wouldn't try to make her cry.

As for being afraid of him, that ended the second she came racing from the pasture after a little runaway, to the sight of Dr. Alex shying away from her puppy, just a little yapping ball of fur coming to say hello. She rescued him from Shin, and even convinced him to hold the tiny Shiba for a little while and not flinch when a tiny pink tongue shot out to lick his face.

And as a matter of _courtesy_, as Nina's mother calls it, and _pretty manners_ as Papa calls it, she didn't laugh, however much she wanted to, when she came in for her check-up, and he recognized her as the girl with the crazy puppy, and blushed.

She didn't think she really wanted to laugh _at_ him, though; she just wanted to laugh because she was happy, and he was cute when he blushed and it _made_ her happy.

When he agreed reluctantly to let her bring Shin for a puppy-check-up, she was _really_ happy.

She had always been afraid of city-men and doctors, and city-doctors especially, but somehow, it was really hard to be afraid of any man who would agree to put aside a grudge with all things canine just to keep a little girl, fifteen her last birthday, from being sad.

They bid a cheerful goodbye, Shin crunching on a puppy treat and Ellen slurping gently at a lolly and trying not to hear Martha suggesting mildly to Dr. Alex that _she's cute, she'll make someone a sweet, sensible wife someday._

After that, he seemed to spend a lot of time just outside of the Blue Sky Ranch, wandering to and fro at the river, just at the time of day that she typically spent out in the pasture.

She would come bounding over the fence, as eager to say hello as Shin, but without the barking or licking his face, and they would talk until people started watching them strangely.

And eventually, she went from just _not being afraid_ to loving him next to Blue as a wonderful older brother.

It was to be a long time before Ellen, sixteen and cheerful and innocent, would come to love him and be afraid of him in a different way, and even a longer time before she would have any idea what it meant.

But she would get there eventually; and he would be waiting for her.

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Alex had never been much of a _dog-person_.

It wasn't that he didn't like dogs, it was just that they made so much noise and mess, and their hair made his nose plug up and his eyes water.

Of course, he didn't blame the poor creatures, because they had no concept of _dog allergies_.

It was generally the _dog-people _that won his irritation, when they insisted upon shoving their pets beneath other people's noses, insisting _he likes you_ and _he won't bite_ and _he's friendly_ and _he likes when people hold him_.

Alex had never been much of a _dog-person-person_.

It was strange, then, that when the little brunette at the Blue Sky Ranch, Hank's daughter Ellen, came catapulting over the fence after her pet and stayed to show him off to her new neighbour, Alex found himself with a genuine smile for the girl, so proud and earnest, and found himself taking an instant liking to her.

Despite the antihistamines he spent the rest of the evening drowsy from.

Even when she asked him, at her check-up soon after, with huge, pleading eyes that showed faint signs of recent tears, if he could take a look at Shin, because the puppy had been listless recently and she was worried that he might be really sick.

Feeling decidedly as though he might find a special place in Hell if he let this sweet, soft-hearted girl's fuzzy little best friend languor in illness, he agreed, set up an appointment for the dog despite not being terribly good with animals, and tried very hard to feel bullied and cheated beneath the beaming warmth of that smile.

And just before the appointment, more antihistamines.

Once Ellen was reassured that her puppy just had a slight springtime cold, he hurried off to the supply cupboard and hunted up an extra-special strawberry lollipop, just as a little light teasing to a girl he was quickly coming to regard as a favourite little sister.

Also, one of the liver-snaps he had bought especially for the occasion.

Quite opposed to being offended by being offered candy like a little girl, Ellen flushed delightedly that he remembered her favourite, and left with another enormous smile.

It was a few weeks before Alex was able to admit to himself just why he found himself so often outside the Blue Sky Ranch on his walks, glancing toward the pasture in hopes of seeing a shining little brown head bobbing amid the long grasses.

But once he did, life was far more comfortable, because he no longer had to hurry away when he saw someone watching them in amusement, no longer felt frantically guilty in addition to his little blush when he overheard someone laughing about how little Ellen over at the ranch was a _special_ favourite with that new Dr. Alex.

Because after all, Martha was right when she said that Ellen was a sweet, pretty little thing who would make someone a good wife someday. And there _had_ to be a reason that he frowned at the idea that it might be to someone other than him.

But she was still young; Alex knew that. And just because it seemed simple to him, he knew that girls her age had a strange ability to confuse things.

She was smart, too, even though she laughed sheepishly and said that he must be bored silly talking to a _simple little country girl_ like her, and he had every confidence that she would figure it out eventually.

Until then, he wasn't going anywhere; he could wait.

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End Notes: My only concession to totally-appearance-based shippiness! He looks like Doctor, she looks like Elli, and together, they look like my favouritest Harvest Moon pairing evar!


	2. Chapter 2

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"H-hi, Doctor," Ellen, nineteen and just beginning to figure things out for herself, greeted timidly as she crept into the Clinic, clutching a piping hot dish in a set of oven mitts.

He looked up, a wide smile spreading over his face, and he set down his pen and hurried over.

"Ellen!"

"Um, Gina and I went looking for herbs earlier today, and we shipped most of them, but Gina kept some on hand just in case she needs some and can't find any in the stores, because she's really smart like that, not like me, I'm just a silly ranch-girl..." When she realized that she was rambling, Ellen gave a little squeak of despair, and tried again. "Um, anyway I kept some too, and Martha told me that you really like Grilled Snapper, so I went and found Ray and gave him a basket of the best eggs I could from my two special chickens that are just mine, and he gave me a freezer full of snapper, even though I just wanted one, because he said that he doesn't like to swindle pretty girls, even though I think he was just making fun of me and really gave me all those fish because he was afraid that Papa would get mad at him."

He stared blankly.

"Um, are you okay, Ellen?"

"I'm fine!" she yelped hastily. "And, um, I brought you some Grilled Snapper, because Martha and Gina said you always forget to have lunch, and you shouldn't do that, because a doctor getting sick because he never takes care of himself is kind of funny."

"Oh…thank-you very much," he said, peering, intrigued, at the baking dish from which that delicious scent was wafting. "I suppose I am a little hungry. Would you like to join me, Ellen?"

"I had lunch before I came over, but I'll still stay to see if you like it," she replied eagerly, following him as he hurried into the other room.

"It smells wonderful," he noted dreamily, mouth watering a little as he cleared off some space at the little table and drew out a chair for her.

She settled the dish carefully down on the potholders, and carefully pulled off the lid, giggling inwardly as her _big brother_ peeked into the dish like a little boy on Christmas.

"Can I offer you a cup of cocoa, at least?" he asked, helping her into the chair.

Trying very hard not to be _too_ enthusiastic, she nodded.

"That would be very nice, thank-you."

Grinning at her affected politeness, he hurried off to fetch her drink and some dishes for the snapper.

"I'm really glad you finally asked Gina to the Festival tomorrow," Ellen piped up as he reemerged from the little kitchenette with an empty plate for the fish, a little plate of cookies, and her cocoa. "You'll have fun, floating your wish-boats together. I know what _you're_ going to wish for," she finished with a giggle.

He paused.

"I did?" he asked, scratching his head in mock-confusion. "Have I been sleep-walking again?"

Ellen stared.

"Gina _said_ she had a date! She was smiling and giggling and blushing and Dia was teasing her all afternoon!"

Alex smiled in between mouthfuls of Ellen's gift.

"I think we have Woody's young apprentice to thank for that."

"But I thought Joe was taking Katie!"

"Not Joe," he corrected. "Kurt."

"But Kurt is taking Dia!" Ellen wailed.

"No, _Jamie_ is taking Dia," Alex informed her, hiding a smile at her expression of miserable bewilderment.

She whimpered.

"Oww…"

"It's hard to keep up, isn't it?" the dark-haired man said, reaching across the table to pat her hand consolingly and laughing affectionately, inwardly of course, as her cheeks grew bright red.

"You should have asked Gina when you had the chance," she told him sternly, snatching her hand away. "She's so sweet, and _very_ pretty when she has her hair down, and her glasses are cute!"

"I know," Alex said comfortably. "She's also brilliant, efficient, and has a sixth sense when it comes to locating everything I've misplaced. All in all, she's a perfect nurse, and a wonderful friend. I think Kurt is very lucky, and I'm very grateful to him for how happy she's been over the past season. As I recall from Katie's visit, a Blue Feather has exchanged hands."

"But now who are _you_ going to ask?" Ellen demanded, eyes wide and despondent.

"With all this worry over _my _date, I'm assuming _you've _found a date already?" he grinned.

She blushed more deeply, and stared into her cocoa.

"Not really," she finally admitted. "A lot of boys around here don't like me very much."

He watched her, and gave her hand another sympathetic squeeze. He knew this about her, and it always baffled and upset him when he heard her described as _plain_, or worse, as _ugly_. To anyone with eyes, she was neither, and he strongly suspected that those big, sweet brown eyes and that warm, friendly, forthright smile played havoc with far more young hearts than she suspected.

But there was no reason to tell her so.

"Those young men have no idea what they're missing. I suppose it must take a certain amount of maturity to know a good thing when you see it."

"_I_ know a good thing when I see it," Ellen pointed out suddenly, and then gave another squeak of dismay, shrinking back into her chair.

"So do I," Alex smiled. "Drink your cocoa."

Obeying more to hide her nearly phosphorescent blush than anything, Ellen snatched up the cup and gulped down nearly half its contents.

"Ooh…that was a mistake," she confided with a pained groan and a sheepish grin, one hand pressed to her tummy, rather upset by too much rich chocolate beverage dumped into it at once.

He laughed again, and poured a second cup of tea from the pot on the counter.

"That might help."

She sent him a grateful smile and sipped delicately at the tea, and for a time silence reigned in the small room as he went back to his lunch.

"Ellen," he finally spoke up, slowly and thoughtfully as though he hadn't been planning it since the second she walked in and regardless of a hundred dates, "if you're short on dates for the Festival, would you like to go together?"

"Sure!" she chirped giddily. "I-I mean, since you don't have anyone better to go with, I guess I could take pity on your and be your fallback."

He frowned, and laid down his fork amid the remains of the fish. Ignoring her bright red cheeks and startled, terrified expression, he came around the table and knelt in front of her chair.

"You're not a _fallback_, Ellen. I would happily choose you over any other girl in this village."

"You're so nice, Alex," she giggled, hugging his hand when he rested it at her cheek. "You even say sweet things to your silly _little sister_."

He laughed softly, eyes drifting over short silky hair, those beautiful eyes, and that sweet smile, down to a figure that, although garbed in the same plain skirts and blouses and apron as ever, had filled out beautifully since she was fiteen and lanky.

"You haven't been a _little sister_ to me in a long time," he admitted, pushing off from the floor. "But I don't want to push you into anything. If you don't feel the same way, I'll drop it."

She bolted from her own chair and hurried after him, turning him back toward her and looking up at him, smile wobbly and eyes filled with tears that seemed from anything but sorrow.

"Can we start with the Festival and see what happens?"

Unable to resist the temptation, he ran one hand over her hair, just as silken soft as it looked, and felt his heart swell a little with happiness when she made a little purring sound and leaned into his touch.

"I think that's fair."

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Meanwhile, glossy dark brown and shining pale blue bent together, peeking curiously in the door.

"Did he finally ask her?" Dia mouthed to Gina.

"I think so," Gina mouthed back around a tremendous smile, giving a little hop of joy as she backed away from the kitchenette.

Together, the girls scurried out of the Clinic.

"We had better get back to the Café now," Dia said once they were far enough away to be assured that the two happily hugging in the Clinic wouldn't hear. "If we don't hurry, Martha will leave to come find us, and we gave up a ride in the mountains with Jamie and Kurt specifically to keep her out of the Clinic this afternoon while Ellen was there. I don't want that to go to waste."

Nodding in agreement, Gina hurried after her lifelong best friend, after one last glance over her shoulder at the Clinic with a smile of pure elation that now all the people special to her had gotten their happy ending.

For now, at least.

But that was enough; there was no point in rushing things.

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End Notes: Hee! Because, once again, I am playing fast and loose wiht the concept of a "one-shot". I don't know; this felt like it needed something. Like, maybe some actual dialogue between the intended couple. XD


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